A UCP government would introduce legislation to protect trails and institute a $30 annual fee for off-highway vehicles and people using camping trailers in the backcountry, says party leader Jason Kenney.

“We don’t believe that preservation of the natural environment, enjoying it for recreation and responsible economic usage are opposed to one another,” he said at a Thursday news conference in Canmore, where he rolled out a 13-point plan on environmental stewardship.

Kenney said he also wants to increase funding for a provincial land trust program by 50 per cent, for a total of $15 million annually, and set aside $2 million over four years for not-for-profit societies that work to maintain parks.

The Alberta land trust grant program helps organizations establish and administer conservation projects.

The proposed legislation, dubbed the Alberta Trails Act, would increase awareness and encourage sustainable use of trails, Kenney added.

“This is the beginning of our common sense conservation plan for Alberta,” he said.

An additional $1 million would go to a program that helps ranchers stop livestock from damaging creeks and streams, he said.

The plan is the latest platform promise from the UCP, which has been steadily rolling out ideas ranging from health-care reforms to immigration policies.

Kenney said he will unveil plans to control carbon emissions in the coming weeks.

‘How is he going to pay for it?’

The NDP currently funds provincial programs aimed at reducing emissions and increasing renewable energy projects with the carbon tax, which the UCP has vowed to repeal.

“It’s clear that Jason Kenney’s plan on conservation is actually pretty good,” said Environment and Parks Minister Shannon Phillips. “The question is how is he going to pay for it?”

She referenced Kenney’s plan to drop the corporate income tax rate to eight per cent from 12 per cent by 2022, and his promise to nix the NDP’s carbon tax.

“We certainly agree our trail system needs to be protected, funding is important,” Phillips said in an interview. “I really do like what he’s talking about when he talks about protecting creeks and streams.”

Kenney promised to preserve and maintain funding for programs such as the Alberta wetland policy, and the watershed resiliency and restoration program.

He also said the United Conservatives will roll out a policy related to environmental cleanup by the energy industry.

“We’ll be talking about the issue of abandoned wells and the need for well reclamation,” he said. “There are no easy solutions but we’ll be speaking to that with a very specific program to be announced in the future.”

This Week's Flyers

Comments

We encourage all readers to share their views on our articles and blog posts. We are committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion, so we ask you to avoid personal attacks, and please keep your comments relevant and respectful. If you encounter a comment that is abusive, click the "X" in the upper right corner of the comment box to report spam or abuse. We are using Facebook commenting. Visit our FAQ page for more information.